The X3000 offers clean looks, a user-friendly interface, and flexible optionsit's a very serviceable, polished portable DVR. Short battery life and occasional video playback imperfections may hold it back somewhat.

Editor's Note: The original version of this review stated that the X3000 does not pick up copy protection from DVDs. After further testing, we have discovered that it does pick up Macrovision protection, though some DVDs that are labeled "Copy Protected" can still be recorded by the product.

RCA isn't the first name most people think of in portable media players (PMPs), but the company is looking to change that with the new RCA Lyra X3000. This 20GB PMP with a 3.6-inch LCD screen is basically a revamped version of the RCA Lyra A/V Jukebox RD2780 player. It looks very sleek and plays audio, photos, and video, and can record video from any analog source. The 20GB X3000 is compatible with a wide range of online services, including PlaysForSure-based music and video rental, subscription, and download shops as well as Audible.com. Overall, the X3000's clean looks, user-friendly interface, and flexible options, as well as nice touches like a scroll wheel and a form-fitting hard case, are countered by sometimes confusing navigation and occasionally slow performance, as well as unimpressive battery life.
It can record some Hollywood DVDs (that aren't Macrovision-protected) and play them back on an external device or PC, including a few that are restricted by other PMPs like the Archos AV 500.

The textured silver front of the X3000 looks more like brushed aluminum than plastic. It's adorned only by the 3.6-inch 320- by 240-pixel LCD, a small black scroll wheel with a center select button, a tiny infrared receiver, and a built-in mono speaker, with a tasteful "Lyra" logo just below the screen. The screen picks up more fingerprints than a subway pole at rush hour, and the device doesn't come with a cleaning cloth. At 5 by 3.1 by 0.8 inches, the X3000 is slightly bigger than the Archos AV 500 or the Creative Zen Vision, but it's a bit lighter, weighing just 8.3 ounces.

The top of the device has clearly labeled buttons for recording, on/off, and back functions, as well as a built-in mic and a release button for the handy kickstand that pops out from the left side of the player. The DC-in jack and combination headphone/line-in/line-out jack are on the right side (which would most likely be the "top" if you stuck the device in your pocket), as is a Secure Digital card slot. On the bottom of the X3000, there's a proprietary port for docking with the included cradle, as well as a standard mini USB 2.0 port for connecting the device to a PC.

The switch on the back of the player toggles among control lock, normal, and TV-output modes. The panel covering the removable rechargeable battery is partially rubberized for easy removal. I did note that the flap-covered USB port is a bit awkwardly placed, since you can't plug in the USB cable while the device is in the cradle or leaning on its kickstand, but this is only a minor issue. RCA has included a slide-on PDA-style casing to protect the screen and face of the X3000, which is very welcome; the charcoal-gray nonslip surface of the case itself is still somewhat prone to scratches and scuffs. The case also covers all of the controls, so you don't necessarily need to use the control-lock switch, and you have to slide the case off only a tiny bit to access the scroll wheel.

When I powered up the X3000 for the first time, it was in demo mode, which I disabled by pressing the Back button and going into the Setup menu. The main screen is very clearly organized and has plenty of polish, though you have to use the clickable arrows on the scroll wheel to navigate this screen. Beyond the main screen, however, you must use the iPod-like wheel's touch sensitivity to navigate. (This isn't the first time RCA has used a scroll wheel; a mechanical one was present on the RCA Lyra RD276x series of MP3 players.) The center select button brings up a contextual menu with various file- and folder-management options; you can bypass these by using the right and left arrows to move through the menus.

In the course of testing the X3000, though most operations were sufficiently smooth, I found several annoying quirks. First, the screen blacks out momentarily when you go to a new menu screen, and an hourglass icon frequently pops up while the processor and hard drive try to deal with commands like track skip or with certain menu-navigation actions. Also, you can't scrub through tracks using the scroll wheel; the X3000 forces you to press and hold the track skip buttons to fast-forward and rewind, which is far less precise.

It's not always clear when to use the Back button or the left arrow button to get to where you want to go. And on certain screens, sliding your finger around the wheel brings up the volume control (the center button toggles between the headphone output and the speaker). You may sometimes be confused about which screens require use of the arrow buttons instead of the wheel. Sometimes pressing the center select button caused me to press the click wheel accidentally, which could be a problem for users with large fingers. And sometimes clicking one of the points on the wheel results in accidental activation of the touch-sensitive wheel itself. Continue Reading

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